One Word, Many Consequences
by Virginie24jb
Summary: Kate Beckett had just been asked the most important question of her life. And the most unexpected question at this time. A simple word. One word and her life would take a very different direction.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

* * *

Castle was staring at her. No smile, no emotion whatsoever was showing through his face. He remained still, a knee on the ground, the ring in his sweaty hands. He seemed petrified by the fear. His heart was racing. He could hear it beating so loudly he thought people in the park could hear it too.

He had done this in the past. But he had never been so anxious about the answer.

"Castle..." she stuttered. "Wh... What are you doing?"

An earthquake. This had just felt like an earthquake under her feet. An earthquake that had shaken every foundation, every habit, every thought she had had in the past. It was a good thing she was sat. No one had ever pronounced these words for her. She had been taken totally by surprise and she hated that. She hated not having an answer ready.

Kate had imagined hundreds of different scenario during the ride that took her from the precinct to this park. But this one was the most unexpected of them all, as she had come to this meeting with the certainty that he was about to break up with her. It had not even crossed her mind. How could he? What was he doing?

"I have a knee on the ground and a ring in my hand. It's called a proposal. And the question is generally answered by yes or no..." he said, knelt down before her, keeping his straight face.

"I..."

That was all she could say. Nothing more was getting passed her throat.

"My knee is still sensitive after that ski accident so... I won't be able to stay like that forever," he said eventually cracking a smile.

A nervous smile. He had put it all out there. He felt naked, vulnerable. In a second, with one word, he could either become the happiest man on earth or the most heartbroken one.

"Castle, please stand up," she whispered.

"Kate-" he begged.

"Rick..." she said in return, her mouth open as though she was about to say more.

But she couldn't. She could not say more. She did not have an answer ready. So she kept silent.

"I guess I've got my answer," he said looking down as he reluctantly stood up.

"No..."

"Precisely," he said raising his eyebrows.

"No, I mean... It's not what I mean. It's not... I thought... " she said panicky. "I thought you were going-"

"... to break up with you?" he finished her sentence. Kate looked down sighing, ashamed. Exactly, that was what she had thought. "That would have been too easy. And it has never been easy between us."

"I don't understand," she said, getting up as well, to face him. "You were upset at me for hiding things from you and now you..."

She couldn't say the word. _Propose_? It seemed surreal. Who would do that? She had come with the certainty that this relationship was over and now he was asking her if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Together. Always.

"It's who you are. I need to accept that. It's who I fell in love with."

"I got the job," she blurted out.

Kate did not know what else to do. How could she give him an answer? She felt like she couldn't think clearly, like she had to make a hundred life-changing decisions in a minute.

"Good. Congratulations," he said very calmly.

"But I can't have both."

"I said _whatever you choose, whatever you decide_..." Castle repeated, worried she would give up their relationship for the job.

"Yes, but you said… that if I took the job it would be the end of our relationship. I can't-"

"I said _it could mean_... and... right now, I'm not talking about the job. I'm not talking about DC or New York. I'm talking about us. So... Would you marry me?" he asked again.

Kate looked down at the ring he was still holding in front of her.

"What if I accepted the job?" Kate asked, a lump in her throat.

Would he leave New York to follow her? Or would they have to try a long-distance relationship?

"This is not the point," Castle explained in a soft voice. "We'll talk about that later. We'll find a way. Right now, I'm asking if you'd like to become my wife."

Kate took a deep breath. _Wife_. This word resonated in her head. It was intimidating. Petrifying. She had never been that far in a relationship. She had never been so in love with someone. She closed her eyes for a second. _Putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake_, a friend once warned her. _Risking our hearts is why we're alive._

"Yes," she said in a breath.

"Wha..." Castle said, hoping he had not misheard. "_Yes_? It's a yes?"

"Yes," Kate repeated softly with a smile.

Castle's smile grew bigger as he realized she had just given him a positive answer. He gently reached for her shaking hand and slid the ring around her finger before looking up at her again. They stayed looking deep into each other's eyes for a minute before leaning forward for a kiss. Their first kiss as an engaged couple.

"I'm scared," Kate whispered as she pulled away.

"Me too," Castle answered with a little smile. They both chuckled nervously. They kept silent for a moment. This was it. The crossroads. Their crossroads. They had chosen the same path. They had chosen to keep moving forward, together. But maybe in a different direction that they had planned. "Have you told the boys and Lanie yet about DC?" Castle asked, concerned.

Kate shook her head in silence. She was scared of that too.

"No. I wanted to tell you first. And I don't know how they'll take it. They're like second family to me..."

"I'm sure they'll be supportive," Castle comforted her, gently stroking her arm.

"You're okay with that?" she asked.

"If that's what you want... then I'm okay with it."

"Thank you. For forgiving me. For supporting me," she said, tightening her grip on his hand.

"Always," he whispered before kissing her softly.

Kate let herself fall into his embrace. This man loved her enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her. Even after what he had gone through with her. For better or for worse. They were engaged. It had been so sudden, so unexpected, that she was having a hard time realizing this ring was really shining on her finger. She was engaged. To Richard Castle.

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

Castle and Beckett were waiting. They should be there any moment now. Hands in her pockets, Beckett shared a look with Castle. She was looking for support. She found it. He nodded gently. He would be by her side all along. She was not alone.

Kate took a deep breath when Lanie, Esposito and Ryan walked into the morgue. It was late at night, there were not a lot of cops anymore in the building but she had chosen this place to be away from prying eyes and curious ears. It was also a symbol. Morgue. Death. It was the end of what she knew, what she was accustomed to. It was the end of a part of her career.

One word. _Yes_. It had changed her entire life in a second. She had said Yes to Castle. She had said Yes to the position in Washington. She was taking a personal and professional turn in her life, all at once, hoping they would be compatible.

"Okay, what's this secret meeting for? We're working on a secret plan to overthrown Gates or something?" Esposito joked.

His smile faded when he saw the serious look on Castle's and Beckett's faces and how nervous they were.

"Guys... Thank you for coming," Kate started solemnly but somehow she needed more time to say anything more. Seeing them all in front of her made things even harder for her. But she had to tell them face to face. "Lanie... Kevin... Javier..." she called them by their first name to make them understand that it was important and that she was addressing every one of them personally. "There's... something I need to tell you. Good news and not-so-good news."

They all looked at each other, worried and having no clues as to what this could be about.

"You remember the case we had a couple of weeks ago, involving a drone?" They nodded silently. "Before he left, agent Stack... talked to me about an opening in DC. A job directly under the orders of the Attorney General. And he said I would be a good candidate. I was... curious. So, I went to DC to take an interview," she said giving a quick glance towards Castle, who had his head down remembering her lie and how he had found out about it.

"Wait... You got the job?" Ryan asked.

"You're serious? You're gonna take it?" Esposito asked, without even waiting for Kate's confirmation.

"I already did," she said after a moment. She thought being frank about it would be easier. She did not need to beat about the bush. It was like pulling on a Band-Aid as fast as possible. It hurt less. "I will give my resignation from the NYPD to captain Gates tomorrow. And I start in DC in two weeks," she explained. It was so sudden, Beckett gave them time to internalize it, to understand the repercussion of this choice. "I love you guys so much, you have no idea," she went on with a shaking voice and tears in her eyes. It was hard even though it was her choice, her decision, and she knew it was the right one at this time of her life. "I am so grateful for everything you've done for me. Those years spent by your side were the best. Really. But I need to try something new. It's an opportunity that I know I would have regretted for the rest of my life if I hadn't taken it. Just... Guys, I don't want you to think I'm letting you down-" she started.

"Why would we think that?" Ryan asked. "You don't have to justify yourself. You're right, it's a great opportunity."

"So you're gonna be the big shot that comes to take over our investigation now?" Esposito asked, half-joking.

"I hope not," Kate answered with a tiny smile.

"FBI?" Ryan asked as they still had no details regarding what the position was about.

"Federal Task Force. It's part of the FBI. We don't hear about it often..." Kate explained.

"Why didn't you tell us about it earlier?" Esposito asked, almost offended she had kept them in the dark until the last minute.

The news had a bitter taste when announced at the last minute. Castle was looking at Kate. He knew that feeling all too well. That was what he had wondered. Kate could feel him staring at her but she didn't dare looking back at him. Instead, she kept looking at Esposito, before glancing at Ryan and Lanie.

"There's... a lot of people I didn't talk to about this," she said as they all looked towards Castle. "I was wrong. I'm sorry. The truth is I didn't want to start talking about it in case it led nowhere. I was waiting to have something official..."

That word was even harder to hear. _Official_. Definitive. Her decision had been made already, and it was definitive. They were happy for her but sadness was inevitable. Not only her friend, leader, colleague was resigning. She was moving to another city.

"You're... moving to Washington," Lanie said with her soft voice.

"Castle, you're going too?" Kevin asked.

Castle had been silent all along. He had not said a word yet. Beckett and Castle shared a glance as they were all looking at them. It was getting worse. They were about to lose two friends at the same?

"We..." he started. "We're not definitive on how to handle this yet. But for now... I'm gonna stay here."

"Wait. You guys are... Don't tell me you've broken up?" Esposito asked, almost holding it against Kate.

"Yeah, it would be a mistake, guys," Ryan added. "Seriously... You should give it a try. After everything that happened for you to get there, you can't give up now. Right?"

"Sweetie?" Lanie said worried, trying to get an answer from Kate.

Beckett and Castle looked at each other again and a faint smile eventually appeared on their faces. Castle gave her a discrete nod. It was time. Time to give them the good news. Kate looked successively at Esposito, Ryan and Lanie.

"Actually... we want to make this work," Castle said as Kate slowly took her hand out of her pocket.

Their jaws dropped at the sight of the ring. Lanie instinctively put her hands on her wide-open mouth while they stayed staring at Kate's right hand and her engagement ring. They all knew Castle and Beckett had something real and they belonged to each other. But they never thought this would come so soon.

Kate gently reached for Castle's hand, for comfort, as she was waiting for their comments.

"That's the good news," Kate said, with a nervous smile.

"Oh my god!" Lanie exclaimed. "Richard Castle, what have you done?!"

"Congratulations guys!" Kevin exclaimed with a huge smile as he got closer to hug them.

He knew the feeling. He knew what it as like to have the woman you loved pronounce this tiny, and yet immensely important word. _Yes_.

"I'm so happy for you two. I'm sure you're gonna make it work," Lanie said as she hugged Kate. "Congratulations, darling," she whispered in her ear. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you, Lanie," Kate whispered back.

"You're gonna try long-distance?" Esposito asked as he hugged Castle and tapped him on the back.

"For now..." Castle said, looking at Kate. "We'll see how it goes."

They would try. They would find a way eventually. Long-distance would be a big change for them but it was a chance he was willing to take before finding any other lasting solution. It was a new pace that they had to find to be able to keep moving forward together.

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

* * *

When Castle looked through the window, the Mall was spreading out in front of him. He was passing right over the Lincoln Memorial before landing in Ronald Reagan Airport. It had been his weekly journey. For three months now, he had spent almost every weekend in Washington, DC. At least two weekends a month. It was only a one-hour flight and he could afford this regular roundtrip. Other weekends, Castle had enjoyed spending time with his daughter while Beckett had had to go to another city for work. Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta... She had already traveled quite a bit and had only come back to New York once in the last three months. Busy. She was always busy. But she knew what to expect when she had accepted the job.

Washington. He loved the city. Not as much as New York City that had been his home for his entire life, but he had always enjoyed those weekends spent with Alexis in the capital. It was such a pleasant city to wanter into, with so many treasures to visit.

Castle walked past the baggage claim area without stopping. He didn't need to. No luggage. He had more than a drawer here, he had a pied-a-terre. He walked through the terminal before getting to the arrivals area. He started scanning the people who were waiting for their friend or family member, while checking his phone again. Nothing. He had texted her before taking off in New York. She knew he was landing at 06:10 p.m. this afternoon and yet she was nowhere to be seen. He felt disappointed not to see her, that she wouldn't even take the time to greet him. Well, she probably had yet another meeting, interrogation or intervention to take care of.

When Beckett had planned her move to DC, they had debated between Georgetown and Dupont Circle as a neighborhood for her new home. But the convenience of the subway had tipped the scale in Dupont Circle's favor. Today though, he wanted to take a cab to get to their place. He felt he had all the time in the world. Why not take advantage of it and enjoy the view of the city instead of being buried underground?

Castle thanked the driver and gave him a comfortable tip as he walked out of the car on Church St NW. He could see light coming from inside. She was home.

"Hey!" Kate exclaimed with a smile as she saw him walk into the living-room of their cozy apartment. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," she said coming to kiss him. "I had a last minute meeting. I just got home."

"It's okay," he said, not meaning it. "How are you?" he asked gently.

"Good. You?"

"Pretty good," he said as he hugged her.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while. The first few months hadn't been what he had expected, what _they_ had expected of this engagement. They would definitely have to work to make it last. But they were always happy to see each other again, to be in each other's arms, to share this short and precious time they had together.

"A colleague recommended me a great restaurant... Wanna go tonight?" Kate suggested.

"I'd love to," he said with a smile before leaning forward for a longer kiss.

She pulled away when her cellphone rang. Castle knew what it meant but gave her a forced smile as she picked up.

"Beckett," she answered. "When?... Did Richards got the- Fine. Okay..." she said looking up at Castle bitting her lower lip. She put her phone away with a sigh. "I'm sorry..." she told him.

"You gotta go," he deduced.

"It should only take an hour or two," she promised.

"It's alright... We'll go another time."

"No! I'm sure we can still make it," she said taking her bag and her keys. "Oh! Before I forget, I've got something for you... On the dresser in the bedroom. See you later," she said kissing him goodbye.

"Be careful," Castle told her.

"Always," she said a with a smile before closing the door behind her.

Castle was standing in the middle of the living-room, looking around him. This apartment was just like the loft he had left a few hours earlier. Silent. And empty. There was no big difference at this precise moment. Castle couldn't help but think of this visit as pathetic and useless.

# # #

His favorite place. The sight of the perfect alignment of the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol was his favorite view in the district. Even thought, lately, the scaffolding around the Washington Monument was ruining it a little.

Castle had left the apartment and had gone for a long walk to the Mall. Why leave an empty apartment for another? Instead he had chosen to sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and enjoy the magical sunset. He stayed until dark. It would take him another half-hour to walk back home. But he didn't mind, since he wasn't even sure there was someone waiting for him there.

Kate was pacing up and down the apartment and almost startled when she heard the door.

"You're okay?" she asked sounding concerned.

"Yeah, why?" Castle asked not understanding her worry.

"I tried to call you, you didn't pick up," she explained.

"I..." he said taking a look at his phone. 8:47 PM. Four missed calls. "I didn't hear it, I guess I forgot to take the airplane mode off," he said taking his jacket off.

"Where did you go?" she asked nicely.

"I went for a walk," he simply said.

"You don't want to go out?" she asked, seeing him open the fridge.

"No... not really," he said a little dryly.

Kate cautiously moved closer as she could see he was not in the mood.

"Rick, what is it?" she asked gently.

"What-" he started, looking at her before scoffing. "What is it... like, what's wrong? Everything's fine for you?" he returned the question.

"Look... I know it's not exactly the best scenario right now..." she said, understanding his point.

"Oh, you're right. Listen, Kate..." he said joining her back into the living-room. "When I proposed, I said that we both deserved more. You agreed," he reminded her. "What I see is us having less. Less and less every time I come to see you. But it doesn't seem to bother you that much. You don't seem to care much."

"Rick, we knew it would be difficult-"

"But not impossible," he cut her off.

"... and yet you proposed," she finished her sentence.

"Excuse me? What did you want me to do? Let you go? I care about you, Kate."

"So you proposed because you were scared I'd leave?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I would have eventually. It was natural progression. I knew from the start I wanted to marry you. It seemed like the right time... to show you that I care. Do you?" he asked without letting her time to answer. "You asked me... _where are we going?_ Proposing was my answer. A little late maybe... but it was my answer. What's yours?"

"Castle, I love you. I... It's not easy for me either, I may not show it... but that doesn't mean I don't care. Look... maybe you could... Why wouldn't you stay here a little longer instead of coming the weekend?" she suggested. "We could spend more time together."

"I could come live here, you're right. But what would that give me? An hour with you everyday? Half an hour for breakfast, another half hour for dinner, _if_... you come home for dinner and not in the middle of the night, exhausted."

"I knew when I accepted this job, that it would be demanding, that I wouldn't be able to spend as much time with you as I wanted."

"I need more," he told her. "Some people are content to see their girlfriend or boyfriend, or _fiancée_ I should say, on weekends. But I need more. After the year we've had together... this feels like cheap, low-cost relationship. I miss us spending time together. But if you tell me you're happy like this..."

"Castle, don't think for a second that it's easy for me or that I'm happy with the situation we're in. I miss you. A lot. I miss us working together as well but you knew that part wouldn't last forever. Right?"

"I... Yeah... But I didn't think the end would come this fast, this suddenly," he paused for a moment. "There's no fun anymore! I don't even remember when was the last time we laughed... or that I made you laugh," he sighed, shaking his head. She stayed silent, knowing he was right. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

Kate stood there as Castle disappeared into the bedroom. She remembered her talk with her father in that restaurant. She said she wouldn't have time for him. She was right. She knew it from the start. But then why did she said yes to him? Because she loved him. Because she wanted to try. Because she wanted to hold on to the possibility of having both. Maybe he would be patient. But he had already been so many times and for so long. How much longer could he wait?

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

* * *

The morning coffee in his hand, Castle had joined Esposito and Ryan at Tompkins Square Park. A well-dressed middle-aged man was lying on the ground behind a bench, next to a briefcase. CSU had already started collecting evidence and Ryan and Esposito had finished chatting with officers on the sidewalk when they entered the park, followed by Castle.

"Oh, this blood..." Ryan said, wincing at the sight of the pool of blood around the victim.

He turned around for a second as though he was feeling nauseous.

"What's happening, bro? Since when did you get so sensitive? It's not the first dead body you've seen," Esposito asked, surprised.

"He's right," Castle said swallowing his sip of coffee as he walked around to take a look at the body. "Though I understand it may be a little early for this..." he added, wincing in his turn.

"No, it's... I've seen a video of... a woman giving birth to her boy. In preparation for... You know," he said looking nervous. "Now every time I see blood, I can't help but think about this video! I shouldn't have watched it. But Jenny wanted me to be ready..."

"I remember when Alexis was born. I almost passed out... but when I saw her beautiful little face, I forgot everything else, I just couldn't leave sight of her," Castle smiled. "Don't worry, it's gonna be fine. You guys have already picked a name?" Castle asked softly.

"Nah, we're still... undecided. Jenny's about originality, I'm more about ordinary."

"Compromising is the key. Or a double name," Castle joked.

"I heard one the other day... Eva-Sophia," Esposito suggested.

"Ava-Sophia," Castle said. "Remember she wants originality. Ava... is more original than Eva."

"Seriously?" Esposito asked as he didn't seem to like it much. "Think about the kid. She's gonna have to live with it. Eva's good," he said looking towards Ryan who was looking successively towards Castle and Esposito.

"Guys, calm down. We don't even know if it's a girl," Ryan said.

"Well... don't ask Espo for advice. Run your ideas by me," Castle gave him a wink, before checking his phone.

"She hasn't called back yet?"

"No," Castle answered looking up at Esposito. "She's probably busy."

"Oh, oh..." Ryan did as he saw a vehicle approaching.

He knew right away it was bad news, even though he had no idea why they would be interested in this case.

"The cavalry's coming..." Esposito sighed.

"Great! Feds..." Castle rolled his eyes when he saw the black SUV park just outside the crime scene perimeter, with all the lights on.

"CSU already collected the majority of evidence so let's hope they'll realize they have nothing more to do here. And they can just... go... home."

"Well, let's hope they sent their worst agents. Fingers crossed for two green-" Castle stopped, his eyes stuck on the two women getting out of the car.

It couldn't be. Was this a coincidence? For sure, it was an unexpected encounter. The women shared a look as they noticed Ryan, Esposito and Castle staring at them. Two women would have to order three men around... Not any men. But it was not any women. Castle stood still in his tracks for a moment. He wanted to go meet them but he couldn't move. _Her_. Among so many agents, it had to be her.

"You knew she was coming?" Esposito asked.

"I..." Castle started, bewildered. "No," he simply said before looking at Esposito.

He looked stunned. It was definitely a surprise. Good or bad, it had yet to be seen. After a few seconds, Castle eventually walked towards the two agents.

"Hi," he said.

"Mr Castle, nice to see you again," agent Rachel McCord said with a warm smile as she held out her hand to him.

She was a tall and thin woman with long brown hair. She was wearing a suit and had her sunglasses on. The perfect Fed look, that you would notice miles away.

Castle gently shook her hand. They had met before. In Washington, two months earlier. He was waiting for Kate outside of the building and had met agent Rachel McCord, who was walking out at the same time. He had had the chance to meet Kate's new colleague, who was also her mentor and her direct superior.

"Hey," Kate Beckett said softly.

When she had learnt she would have to go to New York, she had hoped for any crime scene, as long as it did not involve her former team and her fiancé. So much for that hope...

"Sorry, but as you may understand, we're here to take over the crime scene... and the investigation," agent McCord said with a smile. "No evidence must leave the scene without us taking a look at it first. Our service will process them directly."

"Wait, huh... Why are you guys interested in this case? What's going on? Who is this guy? How do you know about him?"

"So many questions! Shall we...?" agent Rachel McCord said, pointing towards the scene.

Without even waiting for the answer, she started walking towards the boys who were still staring at them from the distance. Awkward. The whole situation was awkward.

"Kate?" Castle said as though he was expecting some explanation from her.

"Not now, Castle. Please..." she answered, ill-at-ease, before following agent McCord.

She wasn't comfortable with this situation but she had to do her job anyway. She walked to join her colleague who was introducing herself to her _former_ colleagues, a few feet away.

"Guys..." Kate said.

"See, I knew it! I told you, one day you would come to take a case from us..." Esposito said half-joking.

"Oh yeah, we're the big bad wolf here..." agent McCord mocked. She sounded like she had heard this complaint many times in her career. "Don't worry, detective Esposito, we're used to being hated," she said with a smile.

"How do you-"

"-know your name? I've heard a lot about you. About you two... or you three, I shall say," she said giving Castle a smile. "Was there a briefcase next to the body?" she asked more seriously.

"How do you know?" Ryan asked.

"So there was one. Good. Where is it? Have you looked inside?"

"CSU collected it, along with other evidence-" Ryan couldn't finish his sentence that agent McCord was already gone to meet with CSU and order them to stop everything they were doing.

Beckett noticed the boys's look on her partner. They were happy not to work with her every day.

"Captain Gates's a Care Bear next to her, believe me," Kate said, confirming their thought.

"So... can we at least have some explanation?" Castle asked.

Beckett looked at them successively. She wished she could explain. She knew she owed them an explanation. She would hate being in their position. But she just couldn't.

"Sorry guys, _classified_. All I can tell you is that it's a very sensitive case. We got put in a plane as soon as our director got the news... No mistake allowed on this one, that was his only warning for this mission. _No mistake allowed_," she repeated his words. "Do you know who it is?" she said pointing at the victim being put inside a body bag.

"Not yet, he didn't have any ID with him," Esposito said.

"Good," Kate simply said without adding anything more. It sounded like them not knowing the identity of the victim was a good news. "You should find yourself another case to work on. It's just an advice from a friend... I'd say this case is nothing but trouble," she told them before Rachel McCord joined them again to set conditions, and limits not to cross.

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Please, be patient. I've already written most of the next chapters. To answer a Guest's review: [spoiler]Yes, Kate will open her eyes and get her head out of her *** at one point.[/spoiler] Again, please, be patient. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: First of all, thank you all for taking the time to read this story. Again, I just hope you'll be patient enough to keep reading it and see how it evolves, even though there are times where you may hate Kate and what she does. I understand, but I know where I'm going, where this story is going. Most of the next chapters are written down. I just need to work on them a little more before being able to publish them._

**CHAPTER 5**

* * *

The evidence collected by CSU had been seized by the Federal Task Force, before they could even take a look at it. Everything the team feared was happening. And more. When they came back to the precinct with a suspect, it was only getting worse.

"No," agent McCord said as Esposito headed to the observation room. A tall man was blocking the door. "This interrogation needs to remain private. Agent Beckett and I will question the suspect. But no one is allowed in here. Agent Richards here will make sure of it."

"What do you think you're doing?" Esposito asked. "You're in a police department, not in your offices. Kate!" Esposito said to try to have her on his side.

Kate opened her mouth but couldn't say anything. Orders. Superiors. Stakes were high. There was not a lot of leeway. She hated this but there was nothing she could do. Her hands were tied.

"What the-" Esposito said as agent McCord closed the door behind them.

The boys looked at each other, stunned. They needed a minute to understand what was going on.

"We've been kicked out of our own place," Ryan commented.

"Okay, look..." Castle said walking away from agent Richards as to keep their conversation private. "We still have elements to work on. Hm... The pad we found in his pocket," Castle said.

"They took it, remember?"

"But they don't know we still have the pictures of it. We should start with looking at the symbol on the last page. It was a..." he said trying to remember it.

"A... star with a lightning?"

"Yeah," Castle confirmed. "I think it could by the symbol a group or a club. Maybe if he was a member, someone there can tell us about him and what he was doing exactly. There was a number as well. We should try to find what it's for."

"I'll check into the symbol," Ryan offered.

"I take the number," Esposito said.

"Good," Castle said throwing a look toward the door of the interrogation room.

Gates was discretely looking from her office, a faint smile on her face. She had had a hard time accepting Castle among them. But he was fitting perfectly. He could be a cop. A badge and a gun were missing. But he had everything else required.

# # #

Rachel McCord was out meeting with her service in New York, who was processing evidence. Kate Beckett suddenly found herself alone in the precinct, in her old home, surrounded by her former colleagues, her friends. But she would not act like one after the call she had just received. She felt betrayed when she learnt that they had made research on this group the victim belonged to. The orders were clear: no investigating into the victim, no one had to be questioned about him.

"You went behind our back, behind _my_ back! I told you, you needed to stop every research on the victim!" Kate exclaimed.

"Kate..." Castle said softly.

The conversation was becoming heated, especially between Beckett and Esposito. A brother and sister were arguing, and the tone was increasing dangerously. It seemed like the Federal Task Force was doing everything in their power to prevent the NYPD from finding the real identity of the victim and why he was shot, hence letting the shooter walk. Kate had pressure on her shoulders, she couldn't back down. There had already been a failure on this case. No more mistake would be accepted.

"What do you want us to do? Sit there and wait while you do everything?" Esposito asked, annoyed.

"While they _hide_ everything, you mean," Kevin added.

"You think I'm happy to do this?! I received orders, whether I like them or not! I'm sorry but this is an investiga-"

"Kate!" Castle interjected to get her attention. "Can I have a word?" he said more softly, his eyes not leaving her sight.

They kept staring at each other for a moment. It was not a question. He wanted to talk to her in private. Now.

"Professional or personal?" she asked, irritated, and seeing he had something on his mind.

Castle kept staring at her without saying a word then started walking to the reunion room. He stopped and turned around as to make her understand he was waiting for her. Castle opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. He followed her inside and gently closed the door behind him. It was not her home anymore. It seemed to be Castle's. He seemed to be in charge.

"What is it?" Kate asked in a sigh.

Castle kept looking at her for a while, in silence. He was scrutinizing her. Something had changed.

"What are you doing?" Castle eventually asked, very gently.

"What are you talking about?"

"Really?" he said, not believing she didn't understand his point.

"Castle, I'm sorry. I know the situation is a little awkward. I should have called to let you know I was coming. I-"

"That's not the point," he cut her off. "Well, yeah, you could have. Would have been nice of you," he paused. "But that's not what I'm talking about. What do you think you're doing here?"

"My job," she said as naturally as she could.

Castle couldn't help but chuckle at these words. _Her job_.

"And does your job consists of preventing us from doing ours?"

"Castle, I can't get into the details, but this is really important. You guys need to let me-"

"Oh that's right. It's _classified_. You can't talk about it."

"Look, I understand it's difficult for all of you," she said giving a quick look at Ryan and Esposito who were waiting for them at their desk. "It is for me too. Don't think I'm having fun doing this. I hate it but I don't have a choice here."

"Kate... You are chewing them out for doing what you did a few months ago. Do I need to remind you that a guy came here and took over the investigation just like you're doing right now? You know, the one who put in your head this job-thing? What did you do? You kept digging behind his back. Because you wanted to find the truth for the victim, for his family. That's why you became a cop, isn't it? So don't expect the boys, don't expect _us_, to drop the investigation, just because you ask. You were in our shoes, you did the same."

"I know..." she agreed. "But it's different now. I'm not on this side anymore."

"You're right... And it feels more and more like you're on the _wrong_ side."

"Don't say that," Kate pleaded him, disappointed to hear that from him.

He was supportive of her, of her career but it did not mean he was happy with what the job consisted of. Or the idea he had of it.

"What's your job on this case? Protect a big personality, a politician? Protect a murderer? A blunder from the government maybe? Is that it? That's not why you became a cop. That's not what drove you every morning when you were here. Is that really so interesting? So important? Kate..." he said, shaking his head, looking desperate. "You're not their boss anymore," he reminded her. "Even if the Federal Task Force's got some authority over us, you're not our boss. Not anymore. They will keep digging. _We _will keep investigating, and you know that. Because you would be doing the same if you were on _this_ side."

"I didn't have the full picture back then. There are things out of your control and out of your knowledge. This is much more delicate and complicated a situation than you would think..." Kate said, almost whispering as she got closer.

Castle kept staring at her, as thought he was trying to read her mind. It hit him. A realization.

"So you really like this?"

"Castle, please..." Kate sighed.

It was not the time for this conversation to take a personal turn.

"You really like what you're doing?" he repeated. "It's important to you? More important than finding the one who took this man's life? Do you think about his family? They have the right to know. _You_ wanted to know..." he said. It hit close to home. Kate understood his insinuation. She had spent years trying find the truth. "Protecting someone. That's what you're doing. Just like people were protecting your mother's murderer... What does it feel like?" Castle said dryly.

He wanted her to realize what she was doing.

"It's not true," Kate said slowly shaking her head.

She had tears in her eyes. It was harsh coming from him. After everything they had done together, after everything they had been through together... He had been there with her all along to find her mother's killer. He knew better than anyone how it had affected her.

"Think about the day you'll have to protect someone big from a blunder... Like a senator. And I've got one in mind," he said looking deep into her eyes. She knew who he was thinking of. "What if one day, your job is to cover Bracken's blunder? That's right..." Castle said seeing her ponder this possibility. "What will you do?"

"It's not what we're doing..." she repeated desperately. "You don't know-"

"What I know..." he started more softly, "is that... that's not the Kate I fell in love with. That's not the Kate I proposed to," he paused. "I miss her," he said looking deep into her eyes as though he was trying to see if the Kate Beckett he had once fallen in love with was still there somewhere. "Don't take it out on the guys... you would do the same."

Castle slowly turned around and headed to the door, leaving Kate alone in the room. She took a deep breath before biting her lower lip. If only she could explain...

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

_Back from vacation, so I can finally post a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait!_

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

The bedside lamp was still on, shining a dim light through the room. A book was lying on the duvet. He was still holding it with one hand. Richard Castle had fallen asleep reading. That was how he had spent his evening. Reading in bed, alone. He was now lost in his dreams, maybe one that had them together. One where they were living the life they would have had, had she stayed in New York. Peaceful. He seemed peaceful in spite of the empty space near him. She belonged here. But she wasn't here.

Kate was leant against the door frame, watching him. She carefully approached the bed and smiled tenderly as she sat down on his side of the bed. Bigfoot. It was yet another book that supported the theory that it was real. She gently moved his hand aside to take the book, before putting it on his night table, being careful not to wake him up. He would generally be awake when she would do this. He wouldn't stop reading. She would have to take matters into her own hands to be able to find some sleep or some intimate time together. Now he was asleep, unaware of her presence. She belonged here. She was here.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered looking lovingly at him. She delicately caressed his cheek. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered again.

Kate stayed another minute looking at him sleeping before turning the light off and cautiously taking her place in bed next to him. She cuddled up to him, resting her head and hand on his chest. She closed her eyes and caressed his chest gently, tentatively moving more and more against him, closer and closer. She needed to feel him, to feel his warm. She delicately slid her hand under his shirt. His skin, his warm. It was comforting.

Castle wriggled a bit as he was slowly waking up. She didn't mean to. She didn't want to wake him up. She just needed to touch him, to feel him, to be with him. She felt his hand going over her back.

"Hey..." he whispered, realizing he was not alone anymore.

She was home. He could feel her soft hand on the skin of his chest. He could feel her breathing through his shirt. He could feel her presence, all too rare lately.

"Hey," she whispered back.

"What time is it?" he asked half-asleep.

"Almost four..."

"Where were you?"

There was no questioning, just worry, concern for her.

"Work..." she said with regrets.

Where else? Lately it had been nothing but work. Castle sighed and put his hand on the back of her neck, gently brushing her hair for reassurance and comfort.

"You sound exhausted, Kate. When was your last day off?"

She didn't answer. She didn't really remember. She just put her leg on his to feel him even more, to be even closer. He delicately slid his hand under her shirt. Kate felt shivers through her body as his hand ran over the curve of her hip.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

This time he was awake. This time he had heard.

"What for?"

Kate buried her head in his chest as though she wanted to hide herself.

"For neglecting you... For taking you for granted," she said.

It was barely audible but it didn't matter. She had admitted it. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her that it was alright, that it was not true. It was true. She had neglected him. She had taken him for granted. At least she was aware of it and she was apologizing.

"I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me," she whispered before giving him a soft kiss on his neck, cuddling.

She went on top of him. She need to feel him, to be as close as possible. Castle could feel her shaking as though she was sobbing. Exhaustion, maybe, was taking over.

"Shhh, Kate..."

She had her head on his chest, like she wanted to burry herself in him, holding his shoulders firmly.

"I miss you," she mumbled, "I miss you so much!" she said between sobs.

Castle had one hand in her hair and was tightening his grip around her with the other arm, trying to comfort her as she was letting it go. Exhaustion, stress, pressure... She was strong, but maybe not enough after all. She sounded burned-out.

"I'm right here," he whispered.

They had been arguing, angry at each other, mean at each other some times but he couldn't bear seeing her like this.

"I made a mistake?" she asked.

"You made a choice," Castle said after a moment.

"The wrong one... right?"

"Only you can answer that. I'm not the one to judge..."

"Rick..." she whispered, still holding him strongly. "Just so you know... what you said yesterday... We don't do that. We don't protect people when they screw up. We just needed secrecy with that victim. We needed to control the information revealed to the press and even to the people who had access to this case. The less people knew, the better... for the sake of the victim and the sake of his family," she tried to explain.

Castle kept quiet for a moment. She was defending herself, justifying herself as to say once more that she was not on the wrong side.

"Okay... I take it back then," he said softly, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"I can't tell you more about it but..." she hesitated.

"Okay," he simply said accepting her explanation.

"But we don't do that," she repeated.

"Have you explained that to Ryan and Esposito?"

"They don't return my calls..." she said after a while, ready to cry. She was afraid of losing two friends. Dear friends. She raised her head to look up at Castle but she lost it when their eyes met. She rested her head back against his chest, sobbing. "I'm not the bad guy here, I'm not... what they think I am."

"Kate, you're exhausted, you need to sleep," he said, his arms around her.

"I need you," she answered. "I need..." she could barely get these words out. Probably because she feared the answer. "Do you... Do you still love me?" she asked on the verge of crying.

"Of course I do," he said wholeheartedly.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," Castle cut her off, kissing the top of her head. _That's not the Kate I fell in love with._ "Just... try to bring her back, because I love her even more."

# # #

Castle was pacing up and down the living-room, taking a look at his watch once in a while and taking a peek inside the bedroom. Something was wrong, unusual. He eventually decided he needed to know. Castle headed to the bed and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey... Kate?" he asked softly. She grumbled a bit. "Kate... It's almost ten, shouldn't you be off to work?" Castle whispered.

She had gotten home in the middle of the night but that didn't mean she could afford to be late the next day.

"Hm hm," she just did, while stretching a little before lying on her belly. "There's only some paperwork left to be done." She was barely awake, trying to emerge a little. "McCord can take care of it on her own. So I took two days off..." she said her eyes still closed. She had a hard time keeping her eyes open but since she didn't hear any answer, she opened them again only to see Castle staring at her in silence, as if he had misheard.

"Two days off?" he asked, surprised. "That... you spend here?"

"Well..." she said, suddenly being more awake. His question had worked as an electroshock. "Unless... you don't want me here," she said worried about what his question meant.

"What are you talking about? Of course I want you here!" he chuckled. "So... two days... no work, just you and me?" he asked for confirmation. It sounded too good to be true. Castle couldn't even remember if they had had two days for themselves since she had started her new job. Kate nodded, smiling faintly. "Okay," he said with a big smile. "Sounds good. Alright, go back to sleep, I'm sorry I woke you up," he said giving her a kiss on her head.

"Don't worry about it," she murmured.

Kate turned around and took a deep breath as she buried her head in his pillow. A few more hours of sleep to recover and recharge her batteries would not be too much. She opened her eyes again a minute later as she realized she was feeling something she had never managed to feel in Washington. And that she hadn't felt for a long time. She was feeling at home. Here in New York. At home. In this loft. Home. With him.

# # #

A few hours of sleep was too much to ask it seemed. Kate had been turing over in bed for half an hour, without being able to fall asleep again. She had too much on her mind maybe. When she finally got up an hour later, the first thing she did was heading to his office. She thought he would be writing, but he wasn't. The office was empty. She took a sit at the desk, running her fingers over his laptop. So many emails written from here, so many hours spent chatting seeing themselves only through this small screen. As she looked around, her eyes set upon a frame. She smiled when she recognized the note.

_Someone once said to me:_

_'If you don't believe in the possibility of magic, you will never find it.'_

_You were right._

_And now I found it, because I found you._

_I love you._

"You're so used to being in your office you couldn't help but sit at a desk even on your day off?" Castle joked as he walked in.

Kate looked up and simply smiled as he walked around to come closer.

"The note... It's supposed to be personal, to be kept at the back of the picture."

Castle took the frame in his hands and looked at it. She had given it to him two weeks earlier, when he had visited her in DC.

"I... decided to put it that way and that I would turn it over when... we'll be back together, like old times... in the same city," he said with a lump in his throat, hoping that day would come soon.

Kate kept looking at him in silence as he put it back on the desk. Old times... fun times. In the same city, working together, living together every day and not a few hours per week, sharing more than just a meal together. She wanted this too. She missed this too.

"Come on, it's eleven already, that means half a day already wasted, if I can say... I only have another day and half with my fiancé so I want to make the most out of it. What do you want to do today?" he asked taking her hands as she got up.

"I don't care... as long as I'm with you," she said wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Okay, let's start with a breakfast 'cause, I'm sorry to say, you look like hell, and weak. So..." he said, taking her by the hand to lead her to the kitchen.

It was more than a breakfast, it was a feast. Pancakes, fruits, french toasts, coffee, home-made orange juice...

"Wait, what... What's all this?" Kate asked, stunned.

"Your breakfast," he said with a smile. "Or rather, your brunch. I hope you don't mind, I was hungry so I... already ate. I can also make you a little smorlette if you'd like?"

"You..." Kate didn't know how to put it without sounding like a killjoy. "Why are you doing this? You were mad at me and now... this?"

"I believe you. If what you said is true, then I apologize for my harsh words on you. And..." he said coming closer, "Kate, it's two days that could be like old times, like what I love about us and what we've had in the last year. I'd like... I'd like us to just enjoy some time together, without thinking about anything else but us and now," he smiled tenderly at her. "We deserve it." She smiled back. She liked the idea. It sounded good and exactly what she needed to feel better. "And it starts with a home-made breakfast."

"Thank you," Kate said holding his hand, looking deep into his eyes.

It was not perfect yet. Maybe they couldn't even go back to what they had. Maybe it was too late. But at least, these two days could be a break for the two of them, waiting for it to get better with time.

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**

* * *

_**A/N:** Stay tuned, next chapter includes explanation... ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Castle and Beckett were out on a date at their favorite place. At Randy's, for the best burgers in town. They felt it had been forever since their last visit. Sat next to each other at a four-seat table, they were laughing out loud like old times as they were finishing up their meal.

"And you didn't notice it?" Kate asked, stunned.

"In case you haven't noticed yet, my mind works differently than yours," Castle joked.

"Tell me about it," she said before letting out a mocking laugh.

They shared a quick kiss as Kate took Castle's hand in hers. The sight of the ring at her finger reminded her of all the little moments that lead them here. All these dates over the years that they would carefully not call _dates_. They would keep saying it was just two friends spending time together, going out for burgers or movies. The ring also reminded her of how lucky she was, and how complicated it had been, and still was, between them.

"I've missed that so much," she said out of the blue.

"Me too," Castle said, looking tenderly at her. "I've missed _her_ a lot..." he said pointing at Kate. "I'm glad to see her back."

The Kate he had fallen in love with was back. The one who'd laugh, who would be happy with the smallest things, who would enjoy her time outside of work.

"I've missed her too," she agreed with a shy smile, knowing that the DC job had changed her a bit and not necessarily in a good way.

"Oh, here they are..." Castle said as he caught sight of Ryan and Esposito walking in.

The guys shared a concerned look when they saw Castle and Beckett together, hand in hand. Castle waved to them to invite them at their table.

"Judas at the table..." Esposito said approaching. "Or should I say two Judas. 'Cause you were just as pissed as we were that she got in our way and now you're here holding hands, laughing together. But I guess being engaged-"

"Javier, don't," he warned him.

He didn't want Esposito to say something he would not be able to take back, and that he would regret.

"It's okay..." Kate said, her hand on Castle's arm. "I expected that. I understand."

"We thought you'd be back to DC by now," Ryan said as he sat down. "Your case is over, congratulations."

"I took a few days off," she simply said. "Listen... I understand you're hating me right now. I understand why you're angry, I would have been too if I had been on your team. Hell, I _was_ angry a few months ago and I did what you did. I understand why you kept investigating. I did the same. I get it. But if you'd let me explain-"

"Explain what? That you joined the dark side?" Esposito cut her off.

"No..." she said softly shaking her head. "I hated having to do this but I didn't have a choice... And as much as I hated it, I knew it was the right thing to do."

"Yeah, right..." Esposito scoffed.

"I'm gonna tell you what I told Rick," she said, ready to start her explanation. "We don't do cover-ups."

"Are you sure? 'Cause it damn well looked like it," Esposito said.

"Okay..." she nodded as to concede he was right. "What if I tell you we were covering up a mission that consisted of uncovering a cover-up? Does that sound better?" she asked but didn't get an answer. She wasn't expecting one. After a moment, she explained. "We don't... We don't protect people who screwed up, it's the opposite. We help people who want to reveal cover-ups. Dean Matthews was a w-" Kate stopped when a waitress walked past their table. "Dean Matthews was a witness. He was about to testify in a case against Feds and against the federal government," she whispered. "Better yet, he was bringing all the evidence needed to prosecute some high-profile members of our government and federal services..."

"So you guys murdered him to keep the federal government clean?" Esposito suggested.

"No! Did you hear what I just said? We... We were protecting him, his family-"

"Didn't work that well," Ryan said.

"Tell us about it..." she sighed thinking about the other team's failure and how they had been appointed to fix it. "Still, he had elements in his possession we needed to protect, evidence. Why do you think we didn't want you to look inside that briefcase? We didn't want the documents to fall in the wrong hands. We didn't want you to investigate on him because you're good. You would have found out who he was and what he was up to. And talking about his death to people, we feared the info was going to get back up to those he was going to testify against. They would have come for the evidence he had and would have destroyed them. We wanted to keep the documents safe to make sure we could still go to court. Making them believe he was still alive was our only leverage at the time. We needed them to think he was alive and well, and ready to testify a week later."

"Wait a second. The guy has information incriminating... what, high-level officials, and he gets killed. And your first thought is to hide his death? Why bother? At this point my first thought would be that _they_ ordered the hit," Esposito said.

"No," she said softly. "Another team was in charge of keeping an eye on him, to be sure he was still willing to testify. They stayed in the dark. One of the agents witnessed the murder. How do you think you got your suspect so fast?" she asked. An anonymous tip. Their agent had called them, giving enough details about the scene to convince them. "He tried to intervene but it was too late. Matthews was dead. Since it was a secret surveillance mission and we didn't want to raise any attention, our agent fled the scene."

"How did you know it was not a targeted hit faked into a random aggression?" Esposito asked.

"Trust me, we knew. It's just bad luck. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Why didn't the agent take the briefcase? He knew what was inside," Ryan said.

"Don't worry, he got fired... His excuse was that someone was already rushing towards Matthews when he fell on the ground. He didn't want to raise attention by stealing something from the victim. He would have become the prime suspect and would have blown the mission... once again."

"Wait... It doesn't make sense. You sound like you're working against your own boss," Esposito noted.

"Yeah, you help someone who wants to testify against the federal government, but you work for them..." Ryan said, skeptical.

Kate took a moment to look at them both.

"The Internal Affairs works to find dirty cops. Who investigate on the misconduct of the agents inside the Internal Affairs? State Department of Public Safety or the State Justice Department. And then who investigates on them? You get it. It's endless. The Federal Task Force has many different sections, including one buried deep down, hidden among many others. And no one is supposed to hear about _that_ one. That's my job... I'm not on the dark side," she told Esposito. "I'm not on the _wrong_ side," she added looking at Castle to remind him of his own words.

They all kept silent for a moment, looking at one another trying to make sense of it all.

"You believe her?" Ryan eventually asked Castle.

"Yes," he simply said.

"Of course you do, she's your fiancé," Esposito told him.

"That's not-" he started.

"I told him a little more," Kate explained.

"To who, Writer Boy? The guy who can't keep his mouth shut?"

"I trust him."

"Yeah, until you find this story in one of his books..."

"I would have to arrest him for treason and put him in jail for the rest of his life. I don't think he wants that," she said with a smile.

"No, I don't," Castle said, shaking his head. "But you told me one day that you'd get me out so... Oh! That's good!" he exclaimed. "You put me in jail and then you get me out," Castle said with a grin.

Kate simply shook her head rolling her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? You don't trust us for keeping secrets like that?" Esposito asked.

"You don't know how many times I just wanted to explain... But I couldn't. My job requires to respect secrecy, confidentiality... Javi, you better than anyone around this table knows what _classified_ means," she said, looking deep into his eyes. "It's hard sometimes to never be able to talk about what you do. Especially when people you care about misunderstand your behavior... It's not always what it seems," she added looking successively at Castle, Esposito and Ryan. "Now the case is over. Our work is done, since the documents are in court. It's in their hands now. Dean Matthews's testimony would have been even better but... The case is not as sensitive now that's why I can tell you what was really going on. I trust you for keeping it to yourself though. Our involvement can't be revealed, to anyone," she told them waiting for confirmation on their part that would stay quiet.

"You got it," Esposito said.

"Secret's safe with me," Ryan added.

"Well, you know me," Castle said. He realized it may not have been the best way to reassure her when he saw their looks on him. "Wait. I mean... Of course, your secret's safe with me too," he smiled tenderly at her.

"Okay..." she said exhaling strongly. It was good to finally get it out of her chest. "I can't get too much into the details but... a few weeks from now, if you hear about big shots being brought down you'll know I was telling the truth today."

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

When she stepped into this room, Kate was brought back months ago. Three months earlier, she had been staring through the window, looking down at the Capitol wondering if she was making a mistake in taking the interview. She did not know what to expect at the time and she never imagined the impact it would have on her career and her personal life.

Once again she found herself standing outside of Freedman's office, not knowing what would happen next. He had her come to his office for an important matter. He didn't say more but since it was only the third time in three months that he had met her, it would no doubt be serious. The last time they had seen each other was when Freedman himself had rushed into their offices to make them take a plane to New York in order to fix the Dean Matthew's case.

Anthony Freedman was now standing behind his desk, talking on the phone. When he looked up, their eyes met. Kate was patiently waiting on the other side of the glass door. He gestured her to come in as he kept speaking on the phone. She complied, carefully closing the door behind her not to disrupt the conversation.

"Sure. No problem. I will. Thank you," Freedman said before hanging up. "Agent Beckett! Take a seat. How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good, thank you sir," she answered.

"Good job on your mission in New York. I was happy to hear it was a success. I haven't read the report yet," he said cleaning his paperwork on the desk, looking up at Kate once in a while. "I also heard you had to deal with your former colleagues."

"Yes, sir. The situation was a little... delicate."

"But you've done some excellent work according to McCord," he said as he sat down.

"Thank you. You... wanted to see me, Sir?" Kate asked, eagerly waiting for the reason of this meeting.

"Yes, that's right. I'm not gonna waste your time, nor mine for that matter," he said smiling, stopping what he as doing to look her in the eyes. "Your mission is over."

It seemed an obvious statement for Kate. After all, she had already written the report and had been affected to another case. But the way he had said it was somewhat strange.

"I'm sorry?" Kate asked, not sure where he was getting at.

"You're right, I should make myself clear," he said seeing the look of incomprehension on Kate's face. "Your mission among the Force is over. You are free to go back to New York."

Time had stopped. It was like these two sentences had took a minute or two to reach her brain.

"I... I don't understand, sir, I'm sorry..." Kate said. "Am I... fired?" she asked, frowning.

"No. Your contract is terminated," he said. Kate thought he was playing with words. "It was a temporary assignment. We had, I'm embarrassed to say... a security problem with one of our employees. A mole inside the service that we needed to identify. We thought that a good way to track him or her was to have an external point of view, someone who had no knowledge whatsoever of the inside and of the people working here, also a possible leak source that could be used by the mole. You had less knowledge of the protocol, therefore you were more likely to make mistakes he could take advantage of. You've done your job, we found him... Your mission is over."

Kate chuckled nervously. She was angered to say the least.

"Are you saying... that..." she couldn't finish her sentence given how absurd it sounded. "Are you saying that I was a sort of distraction?"

"A bait would be more accurate," Freedman answered, on a tone that denoted a serenity not really adapted to the situation. "Not just that, you actually gave us vital information."

"I made... a huge decision in coming here."

"Right, I'm aware of that. You should be happy though. Going back to New York will ease things with your boyfriend-"

"Fiancee," she cut him off to correct him. "I moved here. You knew you would throw me away a few months later and you let me buy a new place, a new-"

"We needed your implantation to be authentic," he explained. "Make people believe you were staying for the long haul."

"So what? I'm just supposed to go back to New York and take my position back? Captain Gates knew about all this?"

"No. But I talked to your Captain this morning. I explained the situation to her. She's more than happy to get you back... if you _want_ your position back. Apparently you're missed over there. Obviously you're free to tell them what you want. You've been fired, you've resigned... it's your choice. But the rest is obviously classified. Don't forget what you signed when you came here."

How was she supposed to explain this to her former colleagues, to her friends, to her family? There was no brave way to say it. Anything she could say would make her look like an idiot. She had been used. Plain and simple.

"You play with people," she blurted out.

"No... we use them." Kate scoffed seeing that once again, he was playing with words. "It's Washington, Mrs Beckett. Politics. Fraud. Pretend. You need more than a few months to understand all the inner workings here... and people's agendas."

"I was a pawn. It was all a play," Kate realized.

"It's no game, Mrs Beckett," he told her very seriously. "But if you want a chess analogy, a friend of mine used to say that sometimes, _a well place pawn is more powerful than a king_. It was true in this case. You helped us more than you are aware of."

"Who knew about this? Agent Stack...?" she asked.

Did he knew? Had he talked to her about the position on purpose? Freedman glanced over

her shoulder as though he was looking at something. Kate turned around and saw agent Stack waiting outside.

"He was the lead investigator on the case involving that leak. He always had an eye on you."

She shook her head in disbelief. She had not seen this coming.

"Agent McCord?" she asked with a lump in her throat.

"She didn't know. Actually, she was one of the people we were keeping an eye on. Agent Stack was the only one who knew you wouldn't stay. Beside myself of course. Your profound care for details, your tenacity was exactly what we needed," he said. Kate could remember the times she had reported suspicious activities among the team. She would always be told that it was normal, that everything was fine, that she needed to get used to a new way of working. She now realized that these elements were what had allowed them to track down their mole. "Now, if you're still interested in federal work..." Freedman said, bringing Kate back to the reality, "there's an opening in Chicago. This time it would be a long-term position, no trick. A real federal job, investing on the field-"

"No, thanks," Kate cut him off.

"Take your time, think about it. You're good."

"Not good enough it seems," she said drily as she stood up.

"Mrs Beckett," he said as she was about to leave the office. "It's not personal..."

"It never is... Not here. It's Washington after all. Fraud, pretend... and people's agendas," she said mocking him. "Lesson learned."

Freedman smiled faintly as she walked out of his office, before going back to his business as though nothing had happened.

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_Reviews are always appreciated! :)_**


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